Finalists announced for the Fair Fashion Award 2026

(CONNECT) The jury for the Fair Fashion Award 2026 has whittled down the 23 nominees and decided on six finalists, three each in the “Established” and “Emerging” categories. According to a statement, they all set new standards for fair work in the textile industry. The award ceremony will take place on October 21 in Zurich.

“Fair fashion begins with the people right along the supply chain as a whole. Anyone engaged in discussions on the topic of sustainability in the textile industry must therefore also talk about fair working conditions – this includes a living wage, safe workplaces and ensuring that employees’ voices are heard”, comments Simon Aebi, Commercial Director and Deputy Managing Director of Fairtrade Max Havelaar Switzerland and jury member. “This makes an award like the Fair Fashion Award all the more important, as it highlights and honors precisely this kind of commitment”, he adds. The Fair Fashion Award is made possible by the TextileVision Foundation and is sponsored by Swiss Fair Trade.

The finalists in the “Established” category are the naturaline alliance, Mammut and VAUDE. The naturaline alliance is a joint submission from Coop (Basel), the bioRe Foundation and Remei AG (both based in Risch in the canton of Zug). The project connects the entire organic cotton supply chain, starting by establishing economic security for the farmers, as well as production and sales.

Mammut (Seon in the canton of Aargau) has been involved in fair pay pilot projects for a long time. The outdoor clothing and equipment company combines wage data – key term in this regard: living wage benchmarks – with responsible purchasing practices and social dialogue.

The outdoor equipment supplier Vaude (Tettnang, Sarnen in the canton of Obwalden) takes gender-specific risks such as discrimination, harassment and disadvantage into account as part of its human rights due diligence processes and Fair Wear verifications at its numerous production facilities.

In the running for the Fair Fashion Award in the “Emerging” category are moya kala, SOLK and THIS IS SHEEP. Moya kala (Sarnen) pays 1 percent of its revenue directly to the seamstresses and tailors as a bonus. In addition, the label manufactures its “Body Basics” range in Varna, Bulgaria, with a specific emphasis on women’s and human rights.

SOLK (Zug) is manufacturing the first biocircular footwear in Vietnam. At its proprietary factory, SOLK has a direct influence over working conditions and wages. External audits round off its toolset for controlling production conditions.

THIS IS SHEEP (Jenins in the canton of Graubunden) bases manufacturing and assembly processes for its merino clothing entirely in Switzerland. The label has taken a deliberate stance to focus on existing Swiss factories and recurring products in order to secure orders for them and to reduce the development effort required for new products. ce/mm